Artificial denture.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application flied .my ze, 1905. serial No. 271,612.

To (1J/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. CARD, a citizen of the United States, residing atOlean, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Dentures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of artificial dentures or plates, and has special reference to a process wherein the several steps of making the plate, exclusive of the finishing operations of vulcanizing and polishing, are carried out while the model is on the articulator. I

To this end the linvention presents another modification of the invention covered by my companion applications, Serial No. 261,221, filed May 19, 1905, and Serial No. 269,100, filed July 10, 1905.

A special object of the invention is to rovide simple and practical means for ma 'ng an all ordinary dental-rubber plate with wax able rubber connections for'the teeth to produce a plate of perfect form and articulation.

Afurther object in this connection is to provide a process involving a minimum amount of labor and time and a great saving in material.

`With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel combination of steps hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The essential features of the invention 'involved in carrying out the Yobjects above specified are susce tible to some variation without departing om the scope of the invention; but a preferred embodiment of the process and article are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an articulator illustrating the manner of carrying out the process in the formation of a partial plate to support and carry teeth at opposite or spaced points on the jaw. Fig. 2 is a reverse perspective view of the model shown on the articulator in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the model shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the line of section including the oppositelylocated teeth carried by the plate. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailsectional view illustrating more clearly the individual tooth-fastening. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly in section,

ing and the denture model are placed upon `the aws of the articulator, as fully set forth in my other applications aforesaid. Hence for illustrative purposes there is shown in the drawings anordinary articulator 1, embodying the upper and lower jaw members 2 and 3, which, respectively, carry the denture model 4 and the bite-casting 5.

Inasmuch as the present process possesses special utility in the formation of a partial plate for supporting and carrying artificial teeth at opposite or spaced points on the jaw, there is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and the related figures a model presenting oppositely-arranged tooth vacancies. rlhe process will be first described in its application to the production of such a plate. After placing the model 4 on the articulator in the usual way the first step in the process is to coat that portion of the model over which the plate and its connections are to extend with a thin solution vof rubber dissolved in chloroform or other solvent, said coating con-1 stituting a primary rubber coating desig nated by the numeral 6 in the drawings. Then the plate-body .7 is formed by slightly warming a sheet of ordinary dental rubber, which is cut to shape and applied on the lingual surface of the model over the rubber coating. It is preferable in the application of the rubber sheet 7, which constitutes the body or base of the plate, to so. arran e such sheet that the marginal edges thereof in the case of a partial plate Will project into the tooth vacancies onto the alveolar ridge of the model. After thus applying the rubber sheet or plate any surplus margins are trimmed off, thus placing the work in condition for the articulation of the teeth, which is .the next step in the process.

The positions of the artificial teeth 8.are determined in the usual way, and in the case IOO of a partial plate such as being described the tooth for each vacancy is set into such vacancy and secured to the plate-body through the medium of a Waxable rubber connection 9. This Waxable rubber connection 9 in its method of application constitutes one of the distinctive features of the invention, and the same consists of What may be properly termed a plastic holdingboss of Waxable rubber. It has been found by practical experience that the ordinary dental rubber such as used for making the platebody or base 7 unites perfectly With the Waxab'le' rubber, and therebysecures an exceptionally strong connection for the teeth with the plate supporting the same.

The plastic holding-boss or Waxable rubber connection 9 is first heated and the anchor-- ing-pins 10 of the tooth pressed into the same, afterlwhich the said vboss or rubber connection is heated again and pressed With the tooth into the tooth vacancy. In thus posi-v tioning or articulating the tooth with its holding-boss or rubber connection-9 the latter'is pressed over and onto the margin of the plate-body 7 at the alveolar ridge and is also Worked around and onto the labial surface of the model. It is then preferable totrim off the Waxable rubber and apply over the same athin'solution of rubber, after which a thin strip 11 of ordinary dental rubber is placed over the exposed surfaces and edges of the Waxable rubber boss or connection. The said'thin finishing-strip 1 1 of ordinary dental rubber Will adhere very tenaciously to the waxable rubber and teeth and fill any vacuum that may exist:

When the teeth are articulated at twoor more points on a partial plate, as above described, the model is cut from the articulator and invested in a dental flask. Then the usual operations of vulcanizing and polishing are proceeded with for finishing the plate.

A modified-form of plate'producedby the process is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. In forming this plate the process is the same in all essential particulars as employed informing the partial plate referred to, but for illustrative purposes the modified plate is shown formed upon a model designed for a complete plate with -a full set of artificial teeth.

The distinctive feature in connection with the modified plate referred to is that in addition to the rubber'plate body or base 7a, extending over the lingual surface and onto the alveolar ridge of the model, there is employed a labial-strip 12 of Waxable rubber, Which extends about the labial surface of the model and overlaps the margin or the plate body or base on the alveolar ridge. The artificial teeth are articulated uponthe late body or base, and its labial strip 12 inthie same manner as already described, and it is then preferable in the case of afull plate tofinish off the labial surface by applying pink or gum-colored rubber l13 thereto. This rubber is best applied by placing small pieces in the interstices etWeen the teeth and then laying a strip of the said pink or gum-colored rubber over the labial surface or over as much of said surface as is necessary to cover the intersticial filling. The remaining exposed labial portions of the Work are finished up With ordinary dental rubber, such as the strips or pieces 11 described in connection With the partial plate.

From the foregoing it is thought that the method or carrying out the invention in its application to different forms of dental plates Would be readily` apparent to those familiar with the art Without further description.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Let'- ters Patent, is-

1. A process of making dental plates Which consists in forming a model and fastening it to the articulator, then applying a dentalrubber sheet to the lingual surface of the model With the margins thereof extended upon the alveolar ridge, then setting the teeth in a holding-boss of Waxable rubber, and then applying said Waxable holding-boss upon the marginal edge of the dental-rubber sheet at the alveolar ridge.

2. A process of making dental plates Which consists in forming a model and fastening it to the articulator, then applying a dentalrubber sheet to the lingual surface of the model With the margins thereof extended upon the alveolar ridge, then setting the teeth in a boss of Waxable rubber, applying said Waxable holding-boss over the alveolar ridge and labial surface and upon the marginal edge of the dental-rubber sheet, then removing the model from the articulator and finally vulcanizing and polishing the plate.

3. A process of'making dental plates Which consists in forming a model and fastening it to the articulator, then coating that portion of the model over Which the plate and its connections are to extend With a rubber solution,

IOO

TIO

applying a dental-rubber sheet upon the coating made by said solution, said sheet being arranged to extend over the lingual surface and upon the alveolar ridge, then setting the teeth in a boss of Waxable rubber and applying the latter to the alveolar ridge and labial surface and upon the marginal edge of the dentalrubber sheet, finishing the exposed edges of the Waxable rubber With dental rubber, and finally removing the model and vulcanizing and polishing theplate.

4. A processof making dental plates Which consists in forming a model and fastening it to the articulator, applying a dental-rubber sheet to the lingual surface of the model7 then inally removing the model and Vulcanizing arranging a labial strip of WaXable rubber and polishing the plate. ro about the labial surface of the model in over- In testimony whereof I alTiX my signature lapping relation to the margin of the dentalin presence of tWo Witnesses.

5 rubber sheet on the alveolar ridge7 neXt setlJOHN M. CARD.

ting the teeth in a boss of WaXable rubber and Witnesses: applying the latter over the joint between E. D.'l\lEWroN,` 4the lingual sheet and the dental strip, and W. H. CARD. 

